Intro to Paleo

The Paleo lifestyle is a favorite of mine because of its simplicity. At the end of every night countless people will be asked this question "What's for dinner?" I can't even think of how many times I've been asked this question, along with variations such as "What's for lunch?" and "What's for breakfast?". I mean these questions come back to haunt people day in and day out. Making a cohesive meal is a challenge for many people who don't have much time, those who don't like to cook, and those who just can't think of anything to cook.

Going Paleo makes these questions a bit easier to answer because your options are somewhat scaled down to certain food groups with meat and vegetables being the main 2. I can't even begin to truly express in words how much stress is now off my shoulders when trying to think of something to cook for dinner. I simply choose a protein, usually steak, and a vegetable or two, usually broccoli and carrots, or a salad. Done. The steak takes about 8 minutes (depending on the cut and thickness of course) and while it's cooking I'm preparing the side which will be done at the same time. How simple and easy is that, I know Rachel Ray has her 30 minute meals, but this one was a meal in under 10 minutes! I love Rachel Ray btw!

So I've mentioned that Paleo basically is meat and vegetables, but you can also eat certain fruits that are lower in carbs, healthy fats such as coconut oil and avocado oil, eggs, seafood, and nuts. Now what you are avoiding is basically processed foods and foods high in carbs such as grains, legumes, unhealthy fats, and most dairy products. Now there are some alternative things that are available like coconut and almond flour that are considered Paleo and will allow you to still eat breads, biscuits, pancakes, things of that nature. It's worth looking into if you feel like you can't live without carb loaded foods. This opens up the possibilities even more. I actually love almond flour!

Below are some things that you can eat to give an example.

Meat/Poultry/Fish: Ground Beef, Steak, Turkey, Chicken, Bison, Quail, Veal, Salmon, Catfish ,Lamb, Pork, Crab, Lobster, Shrimp, Rainbow Trout, Cod, etc. There are soo many different cuts of meat and thousands of different kind of fish. Your options for protein are very abundant.

Vegetables: Asparagus, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Kale, Spinach, Mushrooms, Lettuce, Eggplant, Spaghetti Squash, Avocado (technically a fruit though but who likes technicalities lol), Brussels Sprouts, Artichoke Hearts, Peppers, Cabbage, Zucchini, Onions, etc. You can still eat the starchy vegetables like potatoes and yams, but if you're trying to bring sexy back, those starchy vegetables are not a good idea.

I'll later post this list of Paleo meal ideas I have that might help in embracing the lifestyle. It provides a range of options so that you don't feel like your meal is missing something that is not in agreement with the Paleo lifestyle.

Thanks for reading my post. As always, if there's something you'd like me to post about just let me know. Comments are welcomed! Enjoy the weekend peeps!

She wasn't ready! (In my Kevin Hart voice): Fitness and Food struggles.

So the majority of the summer is gone and I'm sad to report that I missed out on bathing suit season. Why? My eating habits were not as clean as they should have been. It's difficult to find a happy medium between eating right, enjoying food, and looking great, at least for me anyway. On the outside people see me and think that I'm in pretty good shape, but my personal goal is to look good naked from every angle. No need for special effect in photos or filters. The biggest obstacle is myself. I was once down to the shape I wanted to be at. Knowing this should be motivation because I know that I've reached this goal before, but with starting again comes challenges and sacrifices that must be made. No excuses.

They say that summer bodies are made in the winter. This girl will be cooking this 2016 Summer Body right now and by the time I reach my goal it'll be cold, but I'll be fine as hell underneath my clothes, lol. Proper nutrition, motivation, and drive are essential to reach fitness goals. Sure you can workout 2 hours a day, but if you're eating poorly you're canceling out your workout basically.

Nutritional goals will vary from person to person based on size and fitness goals. In my case I'm looking to slim down a little bit more and gain muscle at the same time. I drastically lowered my carbs and I use the My Fitness Pal app to keep an eye on how many calories I'm taking in. With food I'm usually on a Paleo diet plan. It's just so simple and easy but sometimes meals feel incomplete without carbs. I'll do another post about the Paleo lifestyle because I actually think it's amazing and makes so much sense. I eat most of my carbs on the weekends. I can't resist French Toast on a Saturday morning, lol. Plus yall know how I feel about cookies/brownies and ice cream (Yaaaaassss!!!).

I'll be coming up with some great recipes that might help us all get in better shape and not miss out on all the summer time fun next year. Be on the lookout for posts about meal prepping, paleo, keto.

As always, if you have any topics that you'd like me to write about or any recipes you'd like me to post, feel free to let me know!

Peace, love, and food!

Bleu Cheese Turkey Burgers

Talk about deliciousness, just thinking about this burger makes my mouth water (Literally). This is a burger done right and amped up with the creamy, rich goodness that is Blue Cheese. It’s an easy weeknight dinner to make, or a great game time meal to have. Whatever the occasion, you’ll love it.

The recipe serves 2.

Ingredients

1 lb. Ground Turkey

1 cup Bleu Cheese crumbles

4 Large Tomato Slices (Cut them at least ¾ inch thick.) (I used the tomatoes I grew!! :) Yay! They were small so I used 3 slices each.)

2 T Sea Salt

2 T Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

2 T Garlic Powder

2 T Canola Oil

2 Wheat Kaiser Buns (You can use whatever bread you’d like, doesn't really matter to me, but these are fantastic!) (You can toast you buns if you’d like.)

2 Outer Leaves of Red Leaf Lettuce (You can use spring mix too. I like colorful lettuce. I absolutely do NOT recommend iceberg. Step your lettuce game up please!)

Sriracha Mayo**

*Cookware needed

Large Skillet

Spatula

Knife

Cutting Board

Toaster (Optional)

Paper Towel

Directions

1.)    Slice tomatoes and set aside.

2.)    Portion the ground turkey into 2 patties (I always make my fiancé’s burger patty bigger than mine, so maybe 9 oz. and 7 oz. burgers. Whatever floats your boat, but adjust the cooking time if you are making smaller burgers.)

3.)    Heat large skillet to high heat.

4.)    Season the meat with half of the seasoning on both sides. Reserve the other half of the seasonings.

5.)    While the patties are made, use ¼ cup of the bleu cheese crumbles (Divide between the 2 patties) and  sprinkle them in the middle of the patty. Being gentle, try to fold the patty over the cheese (like a taco) and close the edges, so that the cheese is in the middle of the burger. Flatten back to a patty carefully.

6.)    Sprinkle the remaining seasoning on top of the patties.

7.)    Add the oil to the skillet to heat for about 15 seconds and then add the patties. Cook on this side for about 5 minutes.

8.)    Reduce the heat to medium and flip the burgers. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.

9.)    Add the remaining bleu cheese crumbles on top of the burgers in the skillet. Cook for 3 minutes.

10.) Add the Sriracha Mayo** to the buns along with the lettuce and tomato. Add burger patty and enjoy!

**Sriracha Mayo**

Ingredients

2 T Mayo (I use Kraft Olive Oil Mayo.)

1 T Sriracha Sauce (The more you add, the spicier it will be. You can choose your heat level.)

*Cookware needed

Measuring Spoon

Small Spoon

Small Bowl

Directions

1    1.) Add all ingredients into the small bowl and stir well. The end, lol.

Mesquite Shrimp Fajitas

So this is a recipe that is simple, quick, and most importantly deelish!! The smoky-sweet flavor of the mesquite seasoning just does wonders to the dish making your taste buds have a party in your mouth (Yep, there will be a mouth party! lol). I always love how succulent shrimp can be and burst in your mouth as you take a bite. The ultimate food porn!!

Serves 2 or 1 really hungry person, lol.

Ingredients

8 Jumbo Shrimp (Peeled and deveined) (I used Black tiger prawns)

2 T Canola Oil

2 tsp McCormick Mesquite Seasoning

2 tsp Sea Salt

2 tsp Freshly Cracked Black Pepper (There is a huge difference between freshly cracked and regular black pepper, trust me, but if you must use regular that is fine.)

1 tsp Paprika

1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp Onion Powder

4 Small Flour Tortillas

1 large Spanish Onion (sliced)

1 Yellow Bell Pepper (sliced)

Directions

1.)    Add shrimp to a small bowl.

2.)    Mix 1 tsp of sea salt and pepper and all the other seasonings with the shrimp and set aside to marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. (You can also leave it overnight if you like to prep early)

3.)    Heat a large skillet to medium heat with 1 T Canola Oil.

4.)    Add the sliced onions, bell pepper, and 1 tsp of sea salt and pepper.

5.)    Sauté for 10 minutes or until slightly caramelized (Be sure not to burn).

6.)    Remove from the heat and add 1 T of Canola Oil to the same skillet.

7.)    Add the shrimp and cook for 3 minutes on each side.

8.)    Build your fajitas by adding the onion and bell pepper mixture to a flour tortilla. Add the shrimp on top.

9.)    Serve and enjoy!! (I served mine with herbed rice).

Semi-Blackened Catfish

This is a healthier spin on a southern classic dish. Most people fry fish because they were brought up eating fried fish. Additionally, most southern cooks add all types of pork meats to their greens to add 'flavor'. It might taste good today, but I promise it wont look good years down the line. Let vegetables be vegetables!!!

Anywho, this recipe is for the Blackened catfish and is oh so deelish!!

Ingredients
4 Fresh Catfish Fillets (I always prefer fresh over frozen)
2 T Canola Oil
2 tsp Sea Salt
2 tsp Black Pepper
2 T Magic Seafood Seasoning Blend (This stuff is soooo awesome. You'll thank me later :))

Directions

1.) Mix the seasonings in a small bowl.
2.) Heat large skillet to medium-high heat and add the canola oil.
3.) While the skillet is heating, season both side of the fish with the seasoning mixture. (Be sure to pat the seasoning into the fish)
4.) Add the fillets to the skillet and cook for 8 minutes on one side. Flip and cook for another 3 to 5 mins. (Raw catfish is a no no. Make sure your fish is cooked through or else, yuck)
5.) Drain the catfish on a paper towel for a few seconds and serve with your sides. Enjoy.



The recipe for Kale is listed on the blog already, and the cornbread muffins are every southern person's favorite, Jiffy :)

Spicy Salmon Tacos

If you know me, you know that I love salmon. I especially love when salmon is cooked medium because the true flavor is allowed to shine. Overcooked salmon is the worst!!

This recipe came to me in the spur of the moment. My sister decided to live the Pescaterian lifestlye for the month of February and I decided to join her. I was making chicken fajitas for Trent and Cris and realized that I couldn't eat it. Luckily, I had a filet of Steelhead salmon and decided to make a salmon taco. This was the beginning of something special. I have eaten salmon tacos at least 6 more times since then, lol.

I'll show you the recipe for 2 tacos, which is 1 serving. You can quantify the recipe for however many people you need to.

Ingredients

1 Fresh 6 ounce filet of Salmon with skin (You can use any type of fresh salmon like Coho, Steelhead, Atlantic, etc. I always prefer a salmon that is more red than pink because of the depth of flavor.)

-1/2 Yellow Onion
-2 tsp Cajun Seasoning (I used Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning and it is tha bomb!!)
-2 tsp Sea Salt
-2 T Olive Oil
-2, 6 inch flour tortillas
-1 T Mayo
-1 tsp Chopped Chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
-1 tsp Chopped Parsley (For garnishing)

Directions

1.) Cut the filet of salmon, lengthwise, into 2 even pieces.

2.) Season the salmon with the cajun seasoning and 1 tsp of the sea salt. Rub the filet with about 1 tsp of olive oil. Set aside to marinate while you prep everything else.

3.) Heat a nonstick skillet to medium high heat.

4.) Add 1 T of olive oil to the skillet and slice the onions. Add the onions and 1 tsp of sea salt to the skillet. Cook for about 3 minutes and then turn the heat down to a low setting and continue cooking for 8 to 10 minutes.

5.) Once the onions finish  cooking, set aside in a different container. Clean the skillet and re-heat to medium high.

6.) Add 1 T of olive oil to the skillet and add the 2 pieces of salmon, skin side down. Cook on this side until the skin is crispy,  about 3 to 4 minutes. (Be careful not to burn the fish skin. It is delicious when done right, but horrible when burnt.)

7.) Flip and cook on the other side for another 2 to 3 minutes. (Remember, the goal is to cook the salmon to medium, not well done, unless you absolutely must have it that way. Well done should show a thin layer of pink in the middle of the fish.)

8.) Remove the fish from the skillet and sit on a paper towel skin side down to catch any excess oil.

9.) In a small ramekin, mix the mayo with the chopped chipotle pepper.

10.) Spread half of the chipotle mayo down the center of one tortilla and repeat for the other tortilla.

11.) Place a piece of salmon on each tortilla and top each piece of salmon with the quickly caramelized onions.

12.) Chop parsely and sprinkle on top.

13.) Serve and enjoy.

Guacamole Yumminess

I use to be one of those people who disliked avocados simply because they were green and I was not familiar with the taste. My love for avocado started and grew when I moved to Virginia. I enjoy them on my salads and love to season them with Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), Mediterranean Sea Salt, and freshly Cracked Black Pepper (Out of this world deelish!). I tried my hand at a simple recipe for Guacamole since I don't like it when anyone else makes it. I think this is the message that I'd like to send for today: If you don't like it, try to make it yourself! I know what I do and do not like about it, so I can add and or omit ingredients as I see fit. One of the ingredients I omitted is Cilantro. I hate it and can only tolerate a little amount, and since I didn't have any today, I didn't use any at all and I'm okay with that, lol.

Ingredients
2 Avocados (Ripe=Soft, but not too mushy)
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice (From a real lemon, not a bottle. Trust me. There's a difference)
1/2 Tomato cut into small pieces
2 Tablespoons Onion diced into very small pieces (You can use whatever onion you have. I used a Spanish onion, but I'm thinking a red onion might work best)
1 Tablespoon of EVOO
1 Tablespoon Mediterranean Sea Salt
2 teaspoons Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

Directions
1.) Dice the avocado into large chunks and add to a small bowl. (See pics below for those not too familiar with avocados)

2.) Add all the other ingredients into the bowl and stir, being sure not to break down the chunks of avocado. (Be gentle. Incorporate well, but don't start stirring too hard that you make a mash out of everything, lol)

3.) Damn that was easy. Serve and enjoy :)


Great as a dip for chips, with Quesadillas, by itself, however you like it, it's great.